Unigym under scrutiny over gymnastic coach's behaviour, suspension

The City of Gatineau, Que., will meet with Unigym sports club administration Wednesday about the controversial conduct of a high-performance gymnastics coach as parents express concerns with the response.

In March, Radio-Canada reported several former coworkers, athletes and parents had denounced Dave Fallon's coaching methods and the environment he fostered at Unigym Gatineau.

The Integrity Protection Committee (IPC) at Quebec non-profit Sport'Aide found Fallon had engaged in "inappropriate" behaviour at work since the club's inception in 2012, including pulling an athlete's hair and "psychological violence."

Unigym Gatineau counts the city as one of its partners, and the president of Gatineau's recreation, sports and community development commission called for the meeting when Radio-Canada's reporting brought issues with the club to light.

"What we want from our partners is that there is an alignment with the values of the city," Bettyna Bélizaire said in French. "When you see the facts that have been reported by the newspapers — it's impossible to condone that."

The committee recommended Fallon serve a 30-day suspension. In a news release last week, Unigym Gatineau and Gymnastics Quebec announced the coach would return on June 11 in compliance with those recommendations.

Fallon, who has coached gymnastics for more than 25 years, has held various positions on the national circuit, including leading Quebec's gymnastics team as recently as the 2023 Canada Games.

Bélizaire said she hopes the meeting with Unigym will help her determine what measures the club is taking to prevent a similar situation from happening again.

The city gives more than $1.6 million in grants and services to the gymnastics club each year.

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